Sixth Sunday of Easter

Homily May 5, 2024

Cycle B

Acts 10:25-26,34-35,44-48; 1 Jn 4:7-10; Jn 15: 9-17

"Remain in my love"

When we talk about love, we can imagine different meanings. People often overuse the word "love" to describe various situations or personal preferences. We can say, "I love pizza," or, for some hobbies like reading or playing any sport, "I love soccer." We can also use this word to express our appreciation to someone or a deeper level of appreciation to our family; for example, we can say, "I love my brother" or "I love my son." Besides, we can use this word when we fall in love; among teenagers, the expression “I love my partner in school" is common. Furthermore, Christians believe that the biggest love comes from God. 

But let us clarify the word love because we can confuse it with other things or wishes. There are attachments that can confuse love, like money, gambling, and taking drugs, and we give ourselves to those. It is not true love; addictions always bring us to death, and love gives life. How shall we get the best love in a perplexed world?

Jesus has been answering this question since Easter, giving us several images of God. Two weeks ago, he manifested us as the Good Shepherd; the last Sunday, he appeared to us as the true wine. These images from Jesus manifest his love and desire to care for us; he explains to us God's love through these signs. Today, Jesus continues to teach the love of God. It is an unconditional love, but that implies our engagement if we want to enjoy and feel it.

In today’s passage, we find Jesus in the Last Supper, sharing and talking with his disciples: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Stay with me, my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, […].”  It is like a farewell speech where Jesus wanted to highlight the importance of love among his disciples. They represent the Christian community where the love of God manifests; in this context, to remain in love means to live with others. Only in the community can Christians give and receive love. We should keep the community's commandments.

“This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.” Each of us has experienced something from God; it could be a gift, material goods, comfort, or anything. Those things are manifestations of God’s love, but what do we do with those gifts? Sometimes, we choose to hoard these gifts instead of sharing them with others. How does this affect our attitude? Usually, we do not think about our neighbor's feelings; we can be a motive for disgust instead of a good motive for others, bringing gladness to the sad. The commandment from God is to simply follow Jesus, showing others his experience with God. It is in the community that we are loved by God, and we love God through others.

It is the true love that Jesus is talking about today: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends.” This statement is talking about holiness; it means giving life; it is something extraordinary in an ordinary world. Pope Francis once mentioned how love is presented by ordinary people—in those parents who raise their children with immense love, in those men and women who work hard to support their families, in the sick, in elderly religious people who never lose their smile. In their daily perseverance, we can see the love that God gives to others.

Brothers and sisters, do not let that evil defeat us; we shall change the world in our daily routine, even though it can be heavy and suffocating. Christians have some big challenges in these times; we can find many temptations in any place, and false lovers bring us to bad ways and confusion. Just remain in the love of God, in the community’s love, and if we get the wrong way, just approach Jesus: “In this way, the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.”